Olympic champion Beckie Scott won't take part in WADA's bullying investigation

Canadian Olympic cross-country skiing champion Beckie Scott will not participate in the inquiry over her bullying allegations against officials at the World Anti-Doping Agency, insisting WADA's rebooted effort to look into the matter lacks transparency and is "akin to a kangaroo court."

Attorneys for Scott and U.S. Anti-Doping Agency chairman Edwin Moses, who says he witnessed the bullying, sent a letter to the legal firm WADA hired to sort through the incident, saying they would not conduct interviews with investigators.

Among their complaints are that the law firm WADA hired is representing the agency on another matter, and that Scott and Moses aren't allowed to question WADA president Craig Reedie and director general Olivier Niggli.

Scott, 44, says she was harassed for not signing onto WADA plans to reinstate Russia's anti-doping agency from suspension. An initial investigation into her claims found no bullying, but did not include interviews with Scott. After questions arose about the thoroughness of WADA's first investigation, the agency arranged another, though Moses and Scott say it still lacks transparency.

"Having orchestrated the whitewash, WADA should have bent over backwards to do the right thing this time around," said the letter sent to WADA.

WADA defended it's probe in a statement on Friday.

"It is unfortunate that Ms. Scott and Mr. Moses, who continue to sit as Chairs of WADA's Athlete Committee and Education Committee, respectively, have refused to cooperate with the very process they themselves called for.

"While their refusal to explain their perspective on an issue they raised is regrettable and unusual, WADA has continued in good faith to ensure these serious allegations are investigated as thoroughly and as fairly as possible and expects that the investigation will conclude shortly."

Last October Scott, who resides in Canmore, Alta., told the BBC that she was "treated with disrespect" during a September meeting, enduring "inappropriate" comments and "gestures" from some members of WADA's executive committee.

"[It's] indicative of a general attitude of dismissal and belittling of the athlete voice," Scott told the BBC.

Bullying allegation

But WADA did not agree to any of the conditions Scott and Moses set to be interviewed.

The report on the bullying allegation is expected next month, and could coincide with the WADA Foundation Board meeting where a new president is expected to be chosen.

The last meeting, in November, was dominated by news of the bullying case and came before Russia had allowed WADA access to the data.

WADA's decision to reinstate Russia before it had received the data was at the crux of Scott's disagreement. She resigned her spot on the compliance review committee after that committee recommended WADA take that action, but she remains at WADA as chair of the athlete's commission.

Russia missed the Dec. 31, 2018, deadline to turn over the data, but WADA did gain access to the data three weeks later and is reporting progress in sorting through the trove of information. The data could be used to corroborate doping positives that were uncovered in an investigation into a widespread doping conspiracy in the country designed to help Russians at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and other key events.